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Note: this entry is about the weapon, THE Morning Star is a name sometimes assigned to The Devil … usually in the post Milton era.

Basic Information

Basically an evolution of the spiked club a morning star is a bludgeoning weapon with a spiked head - the spikes, allegedly, resemble the rays of light shining out of the star. Despite the spikes, this is not generally classed as a piercing weapon because it relies on swung mass as opposed to a stabbing attack.

A good weapon for a relatively unskilled combatant the morning star can be quite crudely made (from non-metal components if necessary) or can be carefully cast and intricately decorated, depending on the purse and preference of the user. It will struggle against plate armour - which will probably shrug off the spikes - but should be effective against flexible armours and probably capable of driving its points through chainmail. Even when it isn't capable of penetrating the design of the weapon allows for a substantial impact effect as well.

Although mainly a medieval artifact - like most melee weapons - similar devices were employed in WW1 trench raids.

Larger versions of this weapon may turn out to be one version of the Godendag.

Note that a morning star is not a ball and chain weapon - the name may occasionally be applied to such pieces but these are more properly called a war flail or flail of arms.

Sources

Bibliography

1. full source reference

Game and Story Use

As a fairly simple weapon, this might find itself being handed out to militiamen - perhaps the flankers for a pike phalanx.

A somewhat brutal and intimating weapon, this might be found in the hands of mooks or oppressive law enforcers. In D&D it seemed to be the signature weapon of the bugbear.